40 Stunning Thanksgiving Table Decor Ideas for 2020

You don't have to buy anything new to design a striking Thanksgiving table setting. Take notes from Emily Henderson Design and start with basic white dishware, then add contrast with dark napkins. Inspired by those gilded gourds? Get the look by upgrading the pumpkins you have left over from Halloween with some gold craft paint. 

For many of us, the 2020 Thanksgiving table will look a little different than in years past. If you're planning to dine outdoors and keep the gathering small, get inspired by this scene from Guesthouse 71 (a Canadian bed and breakfast). Arrange potted mums and pumpkins around the table, then collect taper candles from around your house for cozy lighting. Blankets create a soft landing, plus you can wrap up in them if it gets chilly. 

Grab those pumpkins left over from Halloween and transform them into vases for the Thanksgiving table. Empty out a fresh pumpkin and use a plastic food container as a liner to hold water for a floral arrangement. Or order some of Terrain's ceramic pumpkin planters so they can be used year after year. 

If you have a porch or covered deck, take notes from Maui Luxe Picnics and set up a picnic-style Thanksgiving table setting outdoors. Hanging lights or lanterns, plus plenty of pillows and throw blankets, create a cozy environment. 

You don't have to spend a ton of money to build a charming holiday table. For a nature-inspired Thanksgiving table setting, LeAnne of The Indie Home foraged berry branches from the backyard. 

For a no-waste take on Thanksgiving table decor, follow blogger Julie Blanner's lead and turn autumn vegetables (nestled on a bed of lettuce) into a stunning table runner. Look for rich colors, like eggplant, and interesting textures, like artichokes. Bonus: you'll have plenty of vegetables to cook with the following week. 

Wooden serving pieces, organic stoneware bowls, and earthy orange glassware create a welcoming setting that will encourage guests to linger. Forgo napkin rings and knot your linens instead to reinforce the relaxed vibe.

Polished elements, like silver chargers, chinoiserie salad plates, and tortoise-handle flatware, stand out against a deep blue tablecloth. Let printed menus and place cards emphasize the formality of the setup.

Arrange a spectrum of salad plates and napkins along your table and add a complementary centerpiece. The rich jewel tones combined with copper flatware and warm wooden candleholders make the rainbow setup feel more adult.

To buy: Made by Design Glass Dinner Plate, $3 each, target.com. 

Atop a clean white canvas, this black-and-white approach looks anything but basic, thanks to an assortment of textures and patterns alongside sleeker elements.

If you don’t have a lot of storage space to spare, holiday table settings that you won’t need to stash after the party are ideal. To create a single-use Thanksgiving table, Sugar & Cloth teamed up with Amazon, and the finished table looks so chic, you’d never guess it is completely disposable. Turning your typical cheese and charcuterie platter into a centerpiece not only helps you avoid storing items afterward, but it gives guests easy access to appetizers before the main course.

If you want a bright alternative to the traditional Thanksgiving colors, painting mini pumpkins in a range of neon pinks and yellows will cheer up the palette. To make this vibrant runner, Oh Happy Day primed the pumpkins before brushing on bold paint. Feel free to play with the color scheme, and try a mix of peach and cranberry, or a range of greens and blues. Whichever colors you choose, matching paper napkins will help create a cohesive look.

When looking for a runner for her Thanksgiving table, Ashley Thurman from Cherished Bliss pulled an unexpected home accessory to do the job: a fringed plaid blanket. Just as this blanket would warm up an armchair in the living room, placing it along the center of the table creates a cozy look. To complete the rustic-yet-modern style, large wood slices hold the pumpkins that serve as Thanksgiving centerpieces.

This adorable Thanksgiving kids’ table from Lia Griffith proves that you don’t need to spend a lot to make the table festive. Plus, it’s proof that kids Thanksgiving table decorations don’t have to be too kitschy. An inexpensive roll of craft paper stands in for a tablecloth—and the little ones will love that they can doodle on their placemat before dinner. The name cards, straw toppers, and menus can all be printed using the downloadable templates, so setting the cutest table is as easy as pressing “print.”

This table by Colleen Pastoor from Lemon Thistle shows that you don’t need to invest in a fancy tablecloth or an elaborate centerpiece to create pretty Thanksgiving decor. Covered in craft paper, with hand-lettered place cards and an abundance of candles, this look nails understated elegance. Pastoor set this table for her Friendsgiving, but the same ideas would work well for a family Thanksgiving or a kids’ table with minimal cleanup—when your guests leave, you can simply roll up the messy tablecloth and toss it out.

What’s the trick to Kelley Nan’s effortlessly charming table setting? Start with a store-bought garland, then add in extras, like pumpkins and candlesticks. When she couldn’t find a magnolia garland in the holiday aisle at her local craft supply stores, she got creative and pulled a leafy garland from the non-seasonal section. Once topped with decorative gourds, the greenery looks like it was made for autumn. Metallic candlesticks and gold chargers add some glitz to the natural table, infusing it with a bit of glamour.

This striking Thanksgiving table decor spotted on It All Started With Paint reveals the surprising effect just one unexpected color can have on the entire table. By painting half of the pumpkins varying shades of blue and leaving the rest classic orange, what would be a traditional table setting suddenly takes a modern turn. Try this at home by painting some pumpkins pink, or a deep shade of purple. Then emphasize the unexpected color by pairing it with matching placemats or linens.

If you’re looking for classic Thanksgiving table decor, let this setup from Home Is Where the Boat Is inspire you. Start with a plaid tablecloth, add an ear of Indian corn at each place, and don’t forget the decorative turkey plates. To build an inexpensive runner, gather oak leaves, nuts, and decorative gourds into an organic runner down the center of the table. The entire table took just five minutes to pull together, but this quintessential Thanksgiving decor will leave a lasting impression.

If you already own a white tablecloth, but it has stains from Thanksgiving dinners past, follow Amelia Lawrence of Paper & Stitch’s lead and dye it a subtle gray that hides spots, yet is still neutral. The soft gray is the perfect backdrop for bright persimmons and pomegranates. And those chambray-style rolled napkins? They’re actually a pair of old jeans, repurposed into DIY napkins following this easy tutorial.

For a table setting that brings the drama, mix a purple table runner and candles with moody black candleholders, like Gwen Hefner from The Makerista did here. To save some money on the table runner, she decided to sew her own out of a long piece of fabric. Another inexpensive trick is to bring in colored glassware found at thrift stores. The light reflecting through the glass will make the entire table feel more colorful.

Easy and effortless, this table decor idea from The Merry Thought is sophisticated, natural, and elegant all at once. Branches and apples are displayed along the table on a simple muslin runner. Vintage-looking brass candlesticks add a little bit of understated sparkle.

The magic of gold paint never ceases to amaze. And it certainly doesn’t disappoint in this elegant table setting from Living With Landyn. Visit the blog to get the complete how-tos for the painted pumpkins. Other brilliant tricks of this beautiful tablescape include arranging twinkle lights underneath to add a gentle glow, and lining the table with fresh-smelling eucalyptus.

To make her blue plates really pop, interior designer Gloribell Lebron from Know How She Does It set them on wood slice chargers. The contrast of the eye-catching color and natural chargers adds to the visual interest of the table. To make the table feel festive (this is a holiday, after all), she dressed it up with brass candlesticks and gold beeswax candles to create a centerpiece that won’t obstruct the view.

Leaf peeping is one of our favorite fall activities, so why not bring that natural beauty indoors this Thanksgiving? Cassandra LaValle from Coco Kelley not only scattered colorful leaves along the table, but she also gathered some large branches with leaves intact and arranged them in glass vases to celebrate fall’s finest. The best part? These touches come courtesy of Mother Nature, so you don’t have to pay a penny.

When Lauren Saylor from A Fabulous Fete was tasked with creating a holiday table for Minted, she decided to defy the typical Thanksgiving color palette in favor of moodier hues. She explains that a palette of matte black, wood tones, copper, and green creates a fall vibe, without looking like you bought out the holiday aisle at the craft supply store.

When Christina Stembel, the founder of Farmgirl Flowers, creates a Thanksgiving centerpiece, she makes it a feast for the senses. While large flower arrangements can get pricey, a leafy garland, interspersed with mini pumpkins and pomegranates, is much more affordable. She also filled a few copper caps (found in the metal section at the hardware store) with tiny succulents to create miniature planters that will bring a little life to your home even after the holiday is over. For a natural look, skip the tablecloth and use simple white dishes that let the centerpiece steal the show.

Thanksgiving tablescapes don’t have to be totally fancy, especially if you’re just having close family and friends over for the feast. Why create something extravagant and stuffy when you can have a casual, relaxed gathering? Shannon of AKA Design created a modern country table setting with natural accents, like wooden chargers, a canvas table runner, and wooden napkin rings. It’s still something that’s a upgrade from your regular dinner table accents, but it doesn’t go overboard.

For a funky twist, drape your favorite scarves or textiles over your dining table, like Justina Blakeney of the Jungalow did for her Thanksgiving table. Here, she used colorful scarves, but if you’re worried about pulling off the whole mix-and-match thing, you can display ones in a similar color palette. To complete the table, she created a colorful centerpiece and used mismatched napkins, as well as metallic silverware and accents.

One of the easiest Thanksgiving table decorating ideas is to go all out on the centerpiece and keep the dinnerware, flatware, and tablecloth simple. Kelly of Studio DIY shares an easy idea for a gilded centerpiece. Those jars you’ve been meaning to recycle or upcycle? Incorporate them into the centerpiece. Varying heights add visual interest to the table. Since it’s metallic and festive, you can use this one from Thanksgiving through New Year’s.

Amy from Delineate Your Dwelling shares a brilliant idea if you’re not hosting Thanksgiving dinner at your house, but traveling to a loved one’s home. You can still contribute to the decor with minimalist table decor—this also works if you’re looking for no-fuss Thanksgiving table decoration ideas. Pick up a simple bouquet for the centerpiece and some greenery (which you might be able to find at a local grocery store), add in some colorful tealights, and you’re all set.

Instead of a traditional centerpiece or fall flowers, opt for on-trend air plants. These unexpected mini wreaths created by Lovely Indeed will be a big hit with your guests—the DIY doubles as a place card and a party favor that they can take home at the end of the meal. Keep the rest of your Thanksgiving table decor simple with white china, metallic silverware, and subtly-patterned napkins.

Hosting Thanksgiving dinner can be a pricey affair, so don’t blow your budget on the decor. Decorating your Thanksgiving table for less is doable, you just need some creativity. Haeley from Design Improvised turned inexpensive items into easy Thanksgiving table decorations, like paper doilies as a table runner, feathers as place cards, and napkins as a faux floral centerpiece.

You don’t have to look too far for Thanksgiving table decor ideas—just outside your window will do. Use the bounty of fall as inspiration. Cam and Chantel of In Love With a House decorated their fall table with simple Thanksgiving table decorations like large branches of varying heights and mini pumpkins spray-painted a light blue.

There are plenty of traditional Thanksgiving table decoration ideas, but if you’re looking to try something different this year, this modern and glamorous table from Neelam of Patterns and Prosecco will be a showstopper. She took a sophisticated black and white Thanksgiving color palette and mixed in fall elements like stalks of wheat and pretty bunches of flowers. Luxe accessories including a faux fur table runner, gilded flatware and candlesticks, and pretty glassware complete the look.

Thanksgiving colors aren’t limited to browns, reds, oranges, and neutrals. Joann of Woman in Real Life went with a traditional Thanksgiving tablescape with fall leaves, pumpkins, and pinecones, but mixed in splattered plates and vases in bright blue. The end result is a whimsical and playful table.

Need some easy Thanksgiving tablescape ideas? Look no further than this budget-friendly one from the bloggers at Inspired By This. A beautiful scarf from H&M is used as a tablecloth, while a pumpkin, air plants, and candlesticks act as a simple vignette centerpiece. They suggest blending in different textures and patterns, too—here, woven placemats and blue plaid napkins are added to the table design.

Lighting can really elevate simple Thanksgiving tablescapes, whether you use candles or actual lights. Joanna of jojotastic placed bouquets of seasonal flowers horizontally rather than in a traditional vase and displayed a centerpiece bowl of white pumpkins. She illuminated the whole vignette with tiny twinkly lights, which give off a soft, cozy glow.

Shades of reds and pink make for the prettiest Thanksgiving tablescape. Laurel of A Bubbly Life gave this romantic color palette a fall twist by adding mini pumpkins and greenery (taken from her backyard). This idea can work with just about any favorite hue, like blues or greens.

This lush floral centerpiece idea from Lexy of the Proper Blog is made with faux flowers so you can bring it out for just about any special occasion. It’s extremely customizable, too. She spray-painted some of the blooms to match a beautiful plate from Anthropologie that inspired the whole look.

The secret to a luxe, elegant tablescape? Layering with lush textures and natural accents. Bre of Rooms for Rent created her farmhouse table decor with a bay leaf garland, pumpkins of different sizes, antique brass candlesticks, mixed metal dinnerware and flatware, and a neutral linen tablecloth.